Needle grinding attachment for sewing machines



Feb. 27, 1962 5, AOYAGI 3,022,612

NEEDLE GRINDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 2. 1959Suesabura A ayagi 1N VEN TOR.

BY 24am United States 3,022,612 NEEDLE GRlNDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWINGMACHINES Suesaboro Aoyagi, 1614 S. King St., Honolulu 14, Hawaii FiledDec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,698 6 (Jlaims. (Cl. 51-256) This inventionrelates to grinders and more particularly to an attachment for sewingmachines to facilitate grinding needles or other sharp objects.

The main purpose of the invention is to satisfy a long felt need of adevice to reclaim damaged sewing needle points which become damagedquite often especially when sewing materials of various thickness andcoarseness. There are times when a spare needle is not immediatelyavailable. When such a predicament occurs the grinding device willbecome not only very convenient but necessary.

Another object, of the invention is to provide a sewing machineattachment adapted to be fastened onto the bobbin rewind spindle and toobtain rotational force therefrom. By using a small grindstone as a partof the attachment, the needles may be placed thereon and held inposition with the pointed end of the needle against the stone so thatupon actuation of the spindle, the point of the needle is reground.

Briefly, the attachment is of very simple construction, consistingessentially of only three parts. A drive sleeve is adapted to be securedto the spindle and held in place by the same means which holds a bobbinin place on the spindle. There is a grindstone, for instance a naturalor composition stone, eg, a Carborundum brand wheel held in place on thesleeve by means of a suitable fastener.

One of the features of the invention is found in the circumferentialgroove of the grinding element. It is specifically designed to acceptthe pointed end of the object which is being ground so that the objectnests therein and may be turned about its longitudinal axis while thegrinding operation takes place.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a part of a conventional sewingmachine showing principally the bobbin rewind spindle and the means tooperate the spindle.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing theattachment in place on the bobbin rewind spindle.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment.

In the accompanying drawings there is a fragmentary illustration of asewing machine 1%). The illustration includes a flywheel 12 of themachine together with bobbin rewind spindle 14 mounted in a swingingbearing 16. The swinging bearing is attached by means of pivot 18 to thebody of the sewing machine. One end of the spindle 14 is free, however,the opposite end has a friction wheel 24 secured thereto which isadapted to be brought against cylindrical surface 24 of flywheel 12thereby imparting rotation to the driving wheel 20 which is, in turn,imparted to the bobbin rewind spindle 14. Clamp 26 is pivotally securedto the body of the sewing machine and it is adapted to be swung towardspindle 14. The design purpose of clamp 26 is to form a guide for thethread as it is being wound on a bobbin and also to retain the bobbin onspindle 14. There are a number of different ways of separably retainingthe bobbin on the spindle, these differing between manufacturers makesof sewing machines. A

aszaeiz Fatented Feb. 2?, 1962 ball detent carried by spindle 14 can beused, or another procedure is to use a frictional bond generated betweenthe bore of the bobbin and the surface of spindle 14. Regardless of thetype of fastening device used, the same fastening device is used forattachment 30 which constitutes one embodiment of the invention. It isto be understood that the previous description relating to the sewingmachine is given by way of example only. Different manufacturers makesof sewing machines have different procedures and methods of rewindingthreads onto bobbins. Attachment 30 may be used with any of theseinasmuch as essentially all of the bobbin rewind mechanisms have aspindle and some type of device for separably holding the bobbin on thespindle while it is wound with thread.

Attachment St) is composed of adapter sleeve 32;, grinding element 34and a fastener 35 to hold the grinding element on the adapter sleeve 32.Sleeve 32 is made of a cylindrical body 33 having a flange 4% at one endwhich protrudes laterally outwardly from the outer surface of thecylindrical body. There is a second flange 42 spaced from flange 40 andparallel to it. The part of sleeve 32 between flanges 40 and 42 and theflanges themselves are an essential duplication of a bobbin, however,flanges 4% and 42 are made considerably smaller in diameter than thecorresponding parts of a conventional bobbin for a sewing machine.

Sleeve 32 has its cylindrical body 38 extending beyond flange 42 to forma seat 44 for the grinding element 34. The grinding element ispreferably a cylindrical natural or manufactured stone type abrasionwheel. it has a circumferential groove 46 opening through its outersurface 48, forming a circular pocket within which to accommodate theend of the object which is to be sharpened. Fastener 36 is preferably ascrew having a head 5% and a shank 52. The sank is screw-threaded intothreaded part 54 of the bore of sleeve 32, and the head 5b of the screwoverlies a portion of the outer flat surface of the grinding element.The opposite flat side surface of the grinding element abuts a surfaceof flange 42 thereby binding it to sleeve 32.

In use, the adapter sleeve 32 is inserted on spindle 14 and is held inplace by the means on, or associated with, spindle 14 which ordinarilyhold a bobbin fastened thereon during the thread winding procedure. Forexample, spindle 14 may have a projection 58 engageable with notch 60 atone end of sleeve 32. Clamp 26 is pivotally moved down to a position sothat a portion of the clamp occupies the space between flanges 40 and 42thereby preventing the attachment from separating from the drive spindle14. This prepares the attachment 3% for use as a grinding device.

When the drive wheel 20 is brought into contact with surface 24 offlywheel 12, drive spindle 14 rotates thereby rotating attachment 30. Aneedle may be held in the fingers of the user and oriented with thepointed end nested in groove 46. This will automatically sharpen theneedle thereby restoring the point thereof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a sewing machine which has a bobbin rewind spindle and a clamp tohold the bobbin on the spindle during the winding, a grinding attachmentcomprising a sleeve having a bore to receive said spindle, a pair ofspaced flanges protruding laterally outwardly from said sleeve andbetween which the clamp is adapted to rest to prevent said sleeve fromexcessive axial movement on said spindle by abutting said flanges, agrinding element carried by said sleeve and abutting a face of one ofsaid flanges, and means carried by said body and engaging said grindingelement to fasten the grinding element to said sleeve.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the grinding element is agrinding Wheel, and the grinding wheel has a circular groove in theouter surface thereof within which the pointed end of a needle isadapted to seat.

' 3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said last-men tioned meansincludes a fastener received within the bore of the sleeve and having anenlarged head in parallel spaced relation to the flanges and abuttingagainst one axial side of the grinding element.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said grinding element comprises asingle piece cylindrical abrasive member, having an annular groove in aradially outer surface of the grinding element. 7 e

5. In a sewing machine having a bobbin rewind spindle and clamp to holdthe bobbin on the spindle during Winding, a grinding attachmentcomprising sleeve means for receiving the spindle, flange meansprojecting substantial- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 443,760 Ginn Dec. 30, 1890 704,324 Hastings July8, 1902 966,305 Brennan Aug. 2, 1910 992,037 Nichols May 9, 19111,124,331 Rodgers l Jan. 12, 1915 1,191,555 Blagrave July 18, 19162,396,505 Gumper Mar. 12, 1946 2,703,471 Rowland Mar. 8, 1955 2,745,365

Zink May 15, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPatent No, 3,022,612 February 27, 1962 Suesaburo Aoyagi It is herebycertified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiringcorrection and that the said Letters Patent should read as correctedbelow.

In the grant, lines 1 and 12, and in the heading to the printedspecification, line 4, for "Suesaboro Aoyagi", each occurrence, readSuesaburo Aoyagi Signed and sealed this 31st day of July 1962.:

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents

